# NTSB CEN22LA281: Cessna 172S, N5256S, Fargo, ND, June 19, 2022

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: June 19, 2022, 18:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place: Fargo, ND · On Airport
- Coordinates: 46.922153, -96.816017 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=46.9222&lon=-96.8160&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 4 uninjured
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: FAA
- NTSB case key (mKey): 105342
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN22LA281
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/105342/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=105342
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22LA281

## Probable cause

The flight instructor’s failure to adequately monitor the pilot flying, which resulted in a nose-wheel first hard landing.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Performance/control parameters: descent/approach/glide path](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062040): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 18 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062040/cases.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 809 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062040/cases.md)
- [Performance/control parameters: landing flare](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 99 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 1,285 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md)
- [Info processing/decision: decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 41 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 3,098 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md)
- [Action: delayed action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 30 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025/cases.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 894 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025/cases.md)
- [Attention/monitoring: monitoring other person](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021535): Personnel issues › Psychological · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 8 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021535/cases.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 200 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021535/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Landing: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The flight instructor reported that during a discovery flight, the customer in the right seat locked his arms forward during landing and the instructor was unable to overpower him. The airplane subsequently landed hard with the nose wheel first and bounced. The instructor conducted a go-around and landed safely. A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the airframe.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N5256S](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5256S), registered now, S/N 172S10901, built 2009 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172S
- Registry model: [Cessna 172S](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172s) (registry code 2072439) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-360-L2A](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-360-l2a) (registry code 41597, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 172S10901
- Year built: 2009
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Instructional, Part 91
- Operator: Fargo Jet Center LLC
- Registered owner: Fargo Jet Center LLC
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Destination: Same as departure
- Airport: FAR, Hector Intl, runway 18, 9,001 × 150 ft, asphalt

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 29; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, single-engine sea, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1; seat: right

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 200° at 22 knots, gusting 32
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 100 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter: 29.66 inHg
- Observed at: KFAR
- METAR: KFAR 192253Z 20022G32KT 10SM CLR 38/19 A2966 RMK AO2 PK WND 20034/2158 SLP034 T03780189

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20220619010699A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220619010699A), Jun 19, 2022: Cessna 172S, Fargo, ND, Substantial damage. Flight instructor was conducting discovery flight with student and 2 additional passengers. Aircraft was approximately 200 pounds overweight. Student was at…

## Docket (2 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 22, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=105342. 2.1 MB in all.

- Pilot's statement (item 1, PDF, 1 page, 1.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14148195&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Pilot%20Statement_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Photos (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 505 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14148632&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Array-Rel.pdf

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.